


defiant to the end we hear the call

by catsbywrites



Series: The Morningstar Syndicate [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety Attacks, Drug Addiction, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Manipulation, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Mental Health Issues, Multi, Other, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rivalry, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:35:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25750693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catsbywrites/pseuds/catsbywrites
Summary: On the 12th hour of the first day of October 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth.This was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day first began.Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible.He got seven.Lord Everett Van Doren, sought after the remaining children after his own wife bore a daughter under such circumstances.He got six.AKA. What if the Umbrella Academy had a rival superhero group as teenagers and now needs their help for the apocalypse?
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), The Hargreeves (Umbrella Academy) & Original Character(s)
Series: The Morningstar Syndicate [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867948
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	defiant to the end we hear the call

**Author's Note:**

> What happened to the rest of the 41 unadopted children born on the 1st of October 1989? What if the Umbrella Academy had a rival group as children who might now be able to help them figure out the apocalypse? A lot of what-ifs in the Umbrella Academy Universe and this is one of them.

On the 12th hour of the first day of October 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth.

This was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day first began.

Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible.

He got seven.

Lord Everett Van Doren, sought after the remaining children after his own daughter was born under such circumstances.

He got six.

First, his own daughter, born from the womb of his very own beloved one. A brilliant mind and sharp blue eyes were two things that made her stand out amongst all. Within days after her birth, her powers were made clear when a soft cat toy flew from the closed cabinet, into her outstretched hands. The second set of special abilities was revealed when she was three, she was assumed a natural prodigy with a perfect photographic memory and a thirst for knowledge, until one day, she touched an ancient knife and unfurled its history without skipping a beat.

Codename: Minerva.

The second child was found in slums of the Chicago hood area, to a rather unfortunate prostitute around a year later. He paid the single mother a handsome sum of money before taking the child back to the manor. The child’s dual powers were revealed in less than two days of adoption when he flung his toy out of the window and flew down to retrieve it. 

Codename: Jupiter.

The third child was found in North Korea under a rather unfortunate situation. The border between North and South Korea, where North Korean soldiers were shooting at a young woman running to find a safe haven. Although the child survived, the mother was unlucky and shot fatally. The billionaire, seeing his chance, picked up the child before the authorities had the chance. The child grew up to be quite unruly, with unrivalled accuracy. 

Codename: Diana.

The fourth child, he found in France. In the home of a young maiden barely seventeen. Everett noticed, within entering the premise of the small cottage, the plants were flourishing. Bushes and flowers were lush and vibes dangled from the roof. He paid the woman a good amount of money and carried the child out. As the child passed, plants grew around them, as if sending off the child with a proper goodbye, confirming the unique skill set blessed upon him. 

Codename: Ceres. 

The fifth child was found in Milan, Italy. A beautiful child who grew up to become an even more beautiful woman with an eye in fashion. Her skillset is incredibly unique, with the ability to charm people with her looks alone and create an array of wondrous optical phenomena and illusions that cause people to lose sight of the real world. 

Codename: Venus.

The last child was an unexpected surprise for Everett. On one cold stormy night, his estranged, disowned sister came to him with a child in her arms. Explaining her condition, she left the child in his care before fleeing. The child’s powers were revealed when she fell down the stairs, an invisible barrier protecting her from harm. Invisibility was also blessed upon the child, evidenced by the time she phased in and out of visibility when it was bath time. 

Codename: Pluto.

  
  


**Twelve Years Later**

Several news vans were parked in front of the museum that was barricaded by the police. A woman with a microphone stood in front of it as a camera recorded her movements and words. “This is Clara Chang, reporting live for Channel One News outside of the City Museum of Arts and Natural History in Main and Fifth. Not two hours ago, a group of heavily armed robbers stormed the museum, taking an unknown number of hostages.” The woman said, looking straight at the camera.

Inside the museum, a masked man holding a walkie talkie was talking to the negotiator outside the building, “Now you’ve put me in a position where I have to do something I don’t want to do.” He barked into the device before turning it off. “Shit!” He cried out in frustration, the police were proven to be more stubborn than he had expected. “Hey, if I don’t get anything in half an hour, start shooting.” He ordered the men pointing guns at the hostages, who nodded in reply.

He walked over to one of the paintings with the intent of taking it down, but instead he stumbled, falling flat on his face. “Shit!” He cursed out, looking down to find the culprit, a tree root that seemed to have grown out of the now cracked marble floor. “What the-?” He wondered, observing it closely before the root shot out, wrapping around his head and slamming it into the floor. He let out a pained scream as blood from his nose stained the marble, attracting the attention of the other robbers.

“You okay boss?” One of them asked through their shared communication line as he and two others walked down one of the hallways full of ancient Egyptian relics, carrying tools of thieves and carts with them. “Yes!” Their boss shouted, “Just finish your fucking job!”

“You heard him.” One of the other robbers said as he approached a golden tablet in a display case on the wall, “Hey, help me with this one!” He shouted to his two companions. The glass case broke with not much resistance, but the second he touched it, the lights flickered off. “What’s going on?” He shouted to them. One of his companions held his shoulder tightly, a shaking hand pointing at the once still sarcophagus. 

A creek was heard and what seemed like a tightly bandaged corpse walked out. The mummy pointed a decomposed finger at them, “You have disrupted my slumber and placed your mortal hands on my tablet. Prepare for my curse.” It said in an ancient voice.

“I didn’t sign up for this!” One of the robbers shouted, dropping his hold on the crate filled with treasures before bolting out of the room. Two of his companions followed suit, screaming their heads off. 

They rounded a corner and was met with a dark-haired girl in a mask and a maroon schoolgirl uniform, smiling innocently at them. “Hey, what are you doing here? Get back with the others.” One of them said, brandishing a gun at her. Instead, she kept on smiling as she fired the gun hidden behind her back. The bullet ricocheted off an old armor, piercing all of their hands at once before ricocheting to hit their legs, causing them to crumple up in pain. 

Another girl, this time with flowing gold hair, rounded the same corner, she too was wearing a mask and the same uniform. “Did it work Bells? I heard them screaming from here.” The dark-haired girl said with a wide grin. 

The blond girl smiled, “Like a charm.” She said delightedly, before skipping towards the main atrium where the boss was nursing his broken nose by holding his sleeve up to it. He saw her and snapped right back up, “What are you doing there? Get back with the others.” He shouted. 

Instead, she just smiled sweetly just as the glass ceiling was punched in by a tall African-American boy in a mask, who grabbed the boss by the collar and swung him at the wall so hard, he broke right through it. The boy flew towards him and swung him again towards the atrium where the man skidded onto the floor a few times, right at the feet of a silver-haired girl who rolled him over with the tips of her polished mary-janes. 

The men holding the hostages let loose their fire, only for the bullets to be stopped by a magnetic field controlled by a pigtailed girl who appeared right next to them, seemingly out of thin air. They both looked at her, clearly surprised, but before they could react, they heard a very British “ _ Wingardium Leviosa _ .” Before their guns jerked upwards towards their chins and jaws, rendering them unconscious. The silver-haired girl lowered her glowing hands and surveyed the scene before nodding at the blonde beauty who used her powers of optical illusion to calm the hostages before freeing them.

The pigtailed girl stared at the silver-haired girl, “ _Wingardium Leviosa_? Seriously, Avie? Out of all the things you could’ve said, you decided to stick with that?” She asked

“I ran out of ideas, I thought we were all going to do it and that was the only thing I could think of.” She replied with a huff.

“I feel like I should’ve said an awesome catchphrase. Or at least a witty line.” A boy with brown hair said, approaching the team.

“I wanted to laugh like the Joker but they didn’t give me a chance.” The Asian girl said glumly.

The blond girl shuddered, “I’m glad you didn’t Kim, that exhibition was creepy enough already and I need my beauty sleep tonight.” She said. 

“Well we should tie up these guys first.” The African-American boy asked before flying around the museum, picking up the unconscious robbers.

“Should we tie a bow onto them as well so we can give them to the police as gifts?” The brown haired boy asked with a happy tone.

Outside, the fleeing hostages were met by the police. The news reporter turned to the camera, “Now we see the hostages – they seem to be unharmed, scared clearly, but unharmed.” She said, “People are coming out now but they aren’t the robbers, they’re – school children with masks on. This is Clara Chang with Channel One News.” She said as the police lowered their weapons and the other media scrambled to try and get an interview with this mysterious third party.

“What happened inside the museum?”

“How did you get inside?”

“What happened to the robbers?”

“With whom are you associated with?”

None of the children answered the questions, only regarding them with waves and nods, until two sleek Rolls-Royces pulled up. The media scrambled to get pictures as billionaire Everett Van Doren exited the front car with ease. He held up a hand and the media quieted as he stood in front of the children. All six of them stood up straighter as he did and the questions started once more.

“Our world has changed.” He announced, “There are several amongst us who have been gifted with powers far beyond ordinary. I have adopted five such children and one from my own flesh and blood,” He said, hand settling rather tightly on the shoulder of the silver-haired girl who smiled. “I give you, the Morningstar Syndicate.” He announced, following a flurry of photographs and microphones being held up.

“Mister Van Doren, Channel News Six. What happened to the parents of the other children?”

“They were handsomely compensated.” He replied.

“Mister Van Doren! Channel Eleven News. Are there other children out there with powers or are they the only six? If so, what happened to the others?”

“I like to believe that I have found the best I could.” He said before the blinding cameras flashed again.

* * *

**Seventeen Years Later**

Five invitations were sent out to five different places in the world, all from one location with the same contents. 

The first one found itself slipped into the mail slot of an apartment somewhere in Barcelona. The intended receiver found it that night, amongst bills and subscribed newsletters. He opened it cautiously before his lips quirked up into a small smile. The woman sitting opposite to him looked at him curiously, the engagement ring on her wedding finger sparkled in the light. 

“ _ ¿Qué es? _ ” She asked.

“ _ Mi hermana _ ,” He replied while stroking his chin, “ _ Ella se va a casar _ .”

“ _¿Cual hermana?_ _¿La supermodelo o el CEO?_ ” She questioned curiously, hoping to get a new piece of juicy hot gossip she could share with her brunch circle. _Ever the gossiper_ , he thought with a light chuckle. 

“ _ Ninguna _ .  _ Mi hermana menor, el periodista, la que vive en New York _ .”

“ _ ¿Vas a ir? _ ” She questioned curiously.

“ _ Claro que es mi hermana. _ ” He said. 

Before she could ask further, a crying broke out from one of the rooms and he laughed softly. Seeing his fiancée rise from the chair, he reached for her hand and gave it a chaste kiss, “ _ Lo manejaré esta noche, deberías descansar _ .” He said tenderly before standing up to rock his son back to sleep. The woman looked at his retreating figure with a smile, finger tracing the ring on her finger before heading off to the bedroom to help him pack for the long trip.

The second one found itself handed over to the receiver by a man in a suit in a low budget motel room somewhere in Mexico. “You have mail.” He said gruffly and shortly, handing her the envelope. 

She playfully bit at his direction, “Thank you Sergeant.” She said before setting it down on the bed lined with guns of several calibres.

“Don’t thank me yet  _ soldier _ .” He pressed on that last word to remind her of her lower rank, “when are you going to finish this job?” He asked rather impatiently. 

She picked up a sniper and pointed it at him, peering through the scope. “Maybe next week. Maybe tomorrow, I don’t know, whenever I feel like it.” She said in a sing-song voice before placing the gun back down to open the envelope with a hunting knife previously hidden in her knee-length boots..

“I’m sorry, what?!” The man hissed, “That’s too close to the deadline! The general will get mad.”

“Oh please, you worry too much. I can’t work under pressure, I want to have a bit of fun first. Maybe kidnap the guy and make him beg for his life as I watch the blood drain from his body as his family and entire cartel watch.” She said sweetly, before licking the blade and putting it back down to properly read the letter. Scanning the contents of the envelope, her lips twisted into a cheeky grin and her hands picked up the sniper gun again. “Actually,” She said as she locked and loaded the gun to a satisfying click, “make it tonight.” She declared before passing him, pushing the invitation against his chest to his confusion at her sudden change of plans. 

The third one was found by the intended receiver in the mailbox of his San Francisco townhouse after his nightly work. He climbed up the stairs to his room, the crisp clicks of his red-soled glittered heels finally ending when he took them off inside his lavishly decorated bedroom. The luxurious fur coat was the first thing to go after the heels, before the skin-tight leather pants, and finally the netted top that perfectly showed off his figure. He sat in front of his dresser and wiped off the waterproof makeup that had withstood many parties, performances, romps, and of course, nights with his patrons.

“Another night well-spent  _ mon amour _ .” He said while kissing his fingertip before pressing it onto his own reflection. He headed off to the bathroom for a bath and afterward he grabbed a cigarette and lighter, but not before popping a blue pill into his mouth. His figure was wrapped in a green silk kimono as he headed over to the balcony where plants grew flourishingly around a glass table with two white seats around it. He lit the cigarette and picked up his mail before settling down in one of the seats. The smoke left his lips, curling up into the cool San Francisco air as he shuffled through his mail before settling on the envelope with the gold corners.

“Oh  _ hello _ .” He said curiously as he opened it. As he read, he extended a hand to one of the plants as it curled towards him. He smiled widely before putting out the cigarette, jumping up to his feet.

“Claude, Jacques, we’re going to a wedding!” He announced before sauntering into the room, several vines and plants following behind him dutifully.

The fourth one was delivered into the perfectly manicured hands of the woman being pampered in a chair. Her golden hair was being pinned in an intricate style as a woman carefully brushed her cheeks. “Charlotte, be a dear and open it for me.” She said to the woman who handed her the invitation.

Her personal assistant did as she requested and handed the contents of the envelope to her. Bright green eyes read the paper thoroughly before sighing contently. “What is it  _ la mia principessa _ ?” Her manager asked curiously, waving off the hairdressers and makeup artists to peer into the letter.

“My sister’s getting married to the love of her life. I have to leave for Canada tonight.” She said.

Her manager’s forehead wrinkled, “How long will you be gone?” He asked, hands settling on her shoulders.

“For a week.” She said lightly while placing the invitation on her lap.

“A week?” He spluttered, “you can’t leave for that long! You have too many things to shoot! I booked you-”

“Well reschedule them, I’m not missing my sister’s wedding.” She said.

“But I thought you haven’t seen your siblings in years!” He complained, backing away to let her get her makeup finished.

Her painted lips fell to a frown, “I haven’t, wouldn’t it be great to reconnect with them though?” She asked. “She’s family, they all are.” She said firmly before he could continue protesting, “I’m going and that’s final. Now go book me a flight and make sure it leaves tonight, also get me a limo because I have to pack.”

The final envelope was delivered into an office located high above the London streets after going through several security checks. The final courier of the invitation knocked on the frosted glass doors that slid open, revealing a figure standing in front of the large floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The silver-haired figure was looking down onto the city below, illuminating her face as she watched the many lives that spread in front of her. “Miss Van Doren,  _ personal _ mail for you.” The courier said, placing it onto the mahogany table.

“Thank you Cheryl.” The person said before downing down the rest of her drink. As soon as the door slid back to a close and she confirmed to be alone once more, the woman refilled her glass from a crystal bottle before picking up the envelope. She grabbed a letter opener from her desk and slid it carefully under the flaps. The gold signet ring encircling her left little finger clinked with her glass as she raised it to her lips again, her eyes scanning the invitation

The paper dropped onto the table as she reached over to the intercom telephone on her desk, a slender manicured finger pressing on the smooth surface, “Cheryl, please reschedule all my week’s meetings and excursions to next week,” She said before finishing the drink once more, “I have a wedding I must attend.”

* * *

The wedding itself wasn’t within The City, rather in a farm not five miles outside of it, but being there was enough to trigger terrible memories for each of the siblings. They arrived at different times and all were welcomed by their youngest sister, the bride-to-be.

Her brother who resided in San Francisco was the first to arrive. His flamboyant nature seemed to have increased greatly from when he last saw her and she was sure the heels he wore would surely break her ankle if she was the one in them. Even with the outfit, the most out of place thing about it was the potted plant he carried. “Tristan!” She said happily as he got out of the cab and into her open arms.

“Hales! Oh look at you, the blushing bride. How are you?” He asked, pushing his sunglasses up to his brown curls with his unoccupied hand, letting the Louis Vuitton suitcases fall into a heap.

“About to get married.” She said with a smile, “and you?”

“Fabulous, just absolutely fabulous. This is such a charming place to have a wedding, so... classic American.” He said, “Don’t you agree Claude? Jacques?” He asked the two sprouting plants in the pot who seemed to nod in agreement.

She smiled and patted the plants, “You’re the first one here. I’ll show you to your room and just... I hope you brought earplugs.” She said.

His smile turned wicked, “Oh, am I getting the one near the bride and groom’s rooms?” He asked while cocking his eyebrows.

“You’re getting the one near the barn, as far away as the mother and father of the groom. They’re both... very... you know what, you’ll meet them soon and you’ll see for yourself.” She said with a laugh. “I’m just so glad you’re here.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He said, looking truly sincere before picking up the rest of his bags, “Now, where is that room? I should freshen up before I meet your fairy tale prince.” 

“Please keep it... normal, his parents are those super conservative Southern whites types.” She begged while helping him with one of the suitcases.

He cocked an eyebrow but nodded anyways, “Fine.” He huffed out as they entered the house. Haley managed to manoeuvre Tristan past her soon-to-be in-laws, sneaking him into one of the rooms as far as physically possible from theirs.

“Wait, are you ashamed of me?” He asked with a melodramatic gasp.

“No!” She cried out, “It’s not like that, it’s just that they’re-“

“As bad as dear old daddy was?” Tristan guessed.

“No, no one can be as terrible as dad. They  _ hate _ me already.” Haley said, shaking him to prove a point.

Tristan nodded, placing his hand over hers to stop her, “Alright, I’ll do as you say. But once this is all over, we’re going on a shopping spree and I get to dress you up, deal?”

“Deal.”

“Perfect, now excuse me while I try to think of the most  _ boringly straight  _ outfit I could think of.” He said before she left the room.

When she went down, she was surprised to see another familiar face already chatting with her future in-laws. “Damian!” She said as she rushed over to hug him. She was thankful he’s the first of her siblings to actually meet them, out of all of them he was always the most normal.

“Here’s the bride!” He said with a deep chuckle as he hugged her tightly, “I’m so happy for you Hales.”

“I’m so glad you’re here Dames. I see you’ve met Ryder’s parents...”

Her future mother-in-law was actually looking pleased for the first time in months, but then again, he always did have that effect around people, “Damian was just telling us about how you haven’t seen each other in years. He even brought us gifts from Spain.” She said whilst holding a box of chocolates and several other gifts.

“It’s my pleasure Moira. I bought two things off the registry and I booked us all dinner tonight at Cattleman’s Grill, which coincidentally, is Jerry’s favourite restaurant.” Damian said, followed by a laugh and good natured pat on the back from Ryder’s dad. Haley stared at her brother, she wasn’t even on a first name basis with Ryder’s mom till one week ago despite already being in a twelve year relationship with her son

“A grill? Really Dames?” A newcomer said from the door, “Do you really think Miss Hollywood Superstar and Miss Bigtime CEO would eat at a grill?”

They all turned to see an Asian girl leaning against the door, “Kim!” Haley cried out, surprised yet happy.

“Kimmy, you’re here.” Damian said, a bit less enthused.

Kimmy slid up her sunglasses to her hair and hugged Hales, “Look at you, finally tying the knot and maybe tying yourself down to the same dick for the rest of your life.” She said.

“Yeah, well, when you know then you know.”

“After what? Fourteen years? How are you not sick of someone yet?” Kimmy said with a good natured laugh.

“Kim, these are Jerry and Moira, Ryder’s parents.” Hales cut in, really to stop her from saying anything more that might offend them. 

Kimmy shook their hands, “You guys made a terrible decision by letting your son marry into this family. Terrible, just awful.” She said, causing the faces of the two elders to slide to an unsettling frown.

Damian cut in before the damage could be furthered, “Jerry, you said you and Moira have an antique Swiss clock?” He said, changing the subject whilst walking them away.

“We eat people and your son’s next,” Kimmy called out after them.

Haley glared at Kimmy and grabbed her arm, “Please keep it cool and normal.” She whispered.

“Stop being so worried Hales,” She said with a laugh, “I was just teasing. Damn you’re just about as uptight as little miss perfect now.”

“Ryder’s mom still hates my guts so please please  _ please _ don’t make this harder than it already is.” Haley practically begged. She would get on her knees if it meant getting Kimmy to agree to her request.

However, before Kimmy could even respond, a very loud “ _ Yo-hoo _ ” was heard from the top of the stairs. The two sisters turned to see Tristan sliding down the stairs in a sequined baby blue shirt paired with leather red tights, a feathered boa wrapped loosely around his neck, his eyelids sparkling with gold.

Haley wanted to bash her head against the wall, “Tristan! Not what I had in mind when I said  _ normal _ .” She stressed that last word, feeling a migraine coming up.

Truth be told, she didn’t want to invite her siblings for this wedding, she knew that her disapproving future-mother-in-law would look down on her even more, especially with the presence of ever-over-the-top Tristan and crazier-than-thou Kimmy. It was only two out of five of her siblings, but with a micromanaging future-mother-in-law who already hates her guts for running off with her precious  _ wuv-wuv _ , even one of them was enough.

“Well this is the most modest and  _ normal  _ outfit I have, if you want something with less skin, I have a latex number that just shows off all my good parts and unzip there too.” He said while fanning himself with the end of the boa. “Well hello there Kimmy, you’ve grown. How did loony bin treat you?”

Kimmy didn’t seem offended, she even grinned, “When they saw what they were doing wasn’t working and after I killed a guy with a rubber band, they sent me to work in the government as a hitman because I’m just too good and just too pretty to be cooped up there.”

“Please don’t mention that to Ryder’s parents,” Haley begged.

“Oh please, they don’t deserve my fun stories… yet.” Her sister replied with a sly grin.

“Any whoos, who else is here already? I can’t wait to get this family reunion started. Since dear old daddy dearest kicked the bucket, I don’t think we’ve seen each other at all, much less live together under the same roof.” Tristan said, stretching on the paneled hallway walls, showing off a pair of heeled boots.

“Do you have any spiders or cockroaches around here? I’d like to put one in Little Miss Perfect’s bed before she gets here, I’d love to see her freak out.” Kimmy cackled.

“Please don’t, I really don’t want any drama and just have a peaceful week.”

“Drama-free and peaceful? How boring.” Tristan yawned.

“Exactly! A wedding has to result in at least one dead body for it to be decent.” Kimmy exclaimed with vigor, “Two for interesting and three for fun.”

Haley was starting to regret sending out those invitations when a sleek limousine pulled up. A chauffeur rushed out and opened the door, a heeled foot was set down on the stoned driveway and another one followed as a gorgeous blonde walked out wearing a pair of bejeweled pink cat eye sunglasses and a glamorous dress that could probably buy the entire ranch. “Oh how… quaint.” The supermodel said with a soft sigh, her lips twisting into a small grimace when she heard a cow moo from somewhere. 

“Bella!” Tristan cried out, beating Haley to the door to embrace his other sister.

“Ah Tristan darling,  _ how are you _ ?” Bella asked as she kissed both his cheeks, “Hopefully well, how’s San Francisco treating you?”

“Well my dearest Bella, San Francisco is treating me so incredibly well. I just ordered this gorgeous suit for the wedding from Burberry that goes perfectly with these new shoes I got from Dolce and Gabbana. And you, those shoes, that dress, the glasses,  _ me-ow _ .” He said while scratching the air between them like a kitty cat.

“We simply  _ must  _ catch up and go shopping after this. My next photoshoot is in Paris next week and I would  _ love  _ to have you join me there.”

“Only if have mimosas and find us some men.”

Haley stood and watched as the chauffeur used a wheeled trolley to carry five suitcases and a dozen boxes to the door. “Is this all?” Kimmy asked sarcastically, eyes rolling as Bella went over to hug her and Haley.

“Oh no Kimmy, _mia cara sorella_ , these are all-day outfits, my evening outfits are in the other car.” Bella said while kissing both her cheeks before going to hug Haley and doing the same to her, “Here she is, the _la sposa che arrossisce_ how are you? Where is this lucky young man you’ve yet to introduce us to?”

“Hi to you too Bella, I’m not sure if your clothes are going to fit in one room though,” Haley said while eyeing them wearily as the pile grew when the second car came.

Bella let out a light laugh, pinching her cheeks, “Oh don’t you worry my little _colomba_ I booked a room in the Ritz at the City for all my outfits.”

“That seems a bit inconvenient…” Haley said slowly, “I mean we should have room to spare for them.”

“But I doubt it would accommodate my clothes because they need special care. But enough with that, who’s designing your wedding dress? Vera Wang? Elie Saab? Jenny Packham? Vivienne Westwood?”

Kimmy blew her a raspberry, “Who cares about that? Nothing’s wrong with a pair of jeans, combat boots, and a comfy t-shirt.” She said, “Oh and your holster and gun of course. Just in case he runs.” Earning her a tight, forced smile from Bella who was clearly hiding her disgust.

“Who else has arrived?” Bella asked, changing the topic before she could find out more.

“Damian is being Damian towards Ryder’s parents and since we’re all here and talking, the only one left is Avie.” Haley said while counting her siblings with her fingers.

“Are you sure she’s coming? After what happened at dear old daddy’s funeral?” Tristan asked.

Kimmy snorted with laughter, “Oh yeah, when she totally lost it and basically told us to get out of her life. It was hilarious, she looked like an angry cat.”

“Oh I’m sure she can’t stay mad at us for too long, it’s just a pity that I  _ never  _ had the chance to ask her where she got her shoes, they were absolutely fabulous,” Bella said with a sigh.

Haley shrugged, “I sent her an invitation and I have a room set up for her just in case she does come. I mean it’s been seven years and she’s still our sister, it won’t hurt to try.” She explained as a silver Toyota Camry pulled up and parked, “And here’s Ryder.”

Her fiance, a tall strapping young fellow with dark hair, blue eyes, and a good-natured smile, got out of the car with a bag of groceries in hand. “He’s a snack,” Tristan said appreciatively. 

The guy walked over to them and kissed Haley on the cheek before turning towards the siblings. “Guys, this is Ryder, my fiance. Ryder, these are my siblings, Kimmy, Bella, and Tristan.” Haley said while peering into the grocery bag, “Oh, did you get the milk?”

“I did babe, don’t worry.” He said with a kiss on her head before shaking the hands of the siblings, “I’m Ryder Sterling. Nice to meet you all.”

“So you’re the unlucky son of a bitch about to get married into our family? Wow, you’re just sad.” Kimmy said, sizing him up, “But then again, your body’s pretty easy to hide, especially since you have a ranch this big.”

Behind him, Haley made a zipping motion across her lips, shaking her head. Ryder turned to her and she smiled brightly at him, “Babe, your mom was looking for you.” She said.

“Oh, okay, I’ll be right back, but since it’s my mom, right back means at least an hour from now. See you later babe.” Ryder said with a chuckle before entering the house after kissing Haley on the lips.

The bride let out an uneasy laugh and made sure he was actually gone before pulling her siblings into a group huddle, “Listen, Ryder doesn’t know about our powers.” She said with a hiss, “So please please please keep it secret.”

Everyone stared at her with the same look of disbelief that was so identical, they actually looked like siblings despite being adopted. “Wait, how could he  **not** know? I mean not to brag but we were  _ superstars _ .” Kimmy asked.

“Do  _ not  _ misuse superstar. Elton John is a superstar, Beyonce is a superstar, Freddie Mercury was and always will be a superstar. But yes, we were quite famous back then. We even did that Vogue spread in those terrible uniforms.” Tristan said.

“Well... I might have told him that I had an identical twin who had powers and I didn’t have powers so I was never exposed to the world,” Haley said with a smile, which caused the stare of disbelief to return.

“And he believed your lie?” Bella asked.

“Surprisingly yes.”Haley said, causing Kimmy to snicker, “Oh shut up. He’s not an idiot, just a bit gullible. Plus he wasn’t our fan, he preferred the Academy”

“You should drop him to the curb, how could he prefer  _ the Umbrella Academy  _ over us? We’re so lovable and fabulous. I mean, checkered vests? Our uniforms looked like they were straight out of Hogwarts without the robes but at least we didn’t use  _ checkered vests _ .” Tristan shuddered. “And don’t get me started on those  _ horrible  _ tattoos. Plus, they managed to kill one of their members and lose one, we all survived.”

“Ah yes, the death of the ideal hentai pornstar, weebs and perverts mourned for months. Three points for the Syndicate, zero for the Umbrelosers.” Kimmy said with a laugh, holding up three fingers on one hand and making a zero with the other.

“Woah woah woah, that was way too far Kim, you shouldn’t say that about a dead guy. Ben was a good person and he shouldn’t be remembered as that.” Damian cut in, poking into the huddle right next to Haley. He looked at his other siblings and grinned brightly before pulling them each into a tight individual hug. “Bells, Kimmy, Tris. I missed you guys so much. How have you all been?”

“Damian, darling, I missed you too, I’ve been absolutely wonderful.” Bella said.

“I saw the pictures of your collection during New York Fashion Week, you looked amazing and your collection is just incredible.”

“Oh, thank you, darling, after this, I’ll send you some outfits from my latest collection.

“Dames, my favorite brother, oh how I’ve missed you.” Tristan said while squeezing his brother’s muscles.

“Trissy, how are the plants? Did you bring Claude and Jacques?”

“Of course I did, they’re up in my room, the flight stressed them out.”

“I bought them fertilizer from Spain, so I hope they’ll feel better after that.”

“Hey there big guy,” Kimmy said while getting into a boxing stance and faux punching his arm, “Look at those guns.”

“Kimquat, not as big as the ones you literally have, I bet. Enjoying your job so far?”

“I get to torture and kill people, plus I get paid for it, what’s not to love?”

Damian let out a warm chuckle, “It’s so great that we’re all back together again, I got gifts for all of you from Spain. But I think we should wait for Avie to come to unwrap them, she’s coming, right? She’s not mad anymore after Kim decided to use dad’s ashes to make a painting of a dick on his portrait?”

“I swore she laughed when I did that. She flipped out for another reason!” Kimmy said defensively, but she started laughing again, “But he deserved it.”

“Well you guys better get ready, we’re all going out for dinner with Moira and Jerry. And wear something suitable for a grill. We’re going to be eating Southern Style tonight.”

* * *

Dinner was, in all definitions, a mess of awkwardness as Damian and Haley tried to be a bridge between the Sterlings and macabre Kimmy who kept making jokes about Ryder being found dead after the wedding, disaster-gay Tristan who openly flirted with their waiter and talked about his numerous gay lovers and sugar daddies all over the world, and definitely-not-down-to-earth Bella who kept complaining about pretty much everything. Maybe she should have invited them to come a day before the wedding, Haley thought as Tristan launched into another story about the time he made out with a duke in the Venice Canals before he let that guy explore his Canal, horrifying Moira.

She thought the night was over when they reached the farmhouse because all she wanted to do was collapse on the bed. But clearly the universe had other plans for her. When the got back, the living room light was on, despite it being off when they left the house. “I have a shotgun in the back. Help me out, son.” Jerry whispered before sneaking to the back shed with Ryder and Moira, the latter decided she didn’t want to spend time alone with Haley and her siblings anymore.

It was an instinct they were raised to have, Kimmy grabbed a gun from her boots, the plant near the door slithered over to Tristan, Haley’s hands glowed with energy, Bella was ready to cast illusions, and Damian was leading them, power practically oozing from his body. They quietly entered the living room and was met with the first and last people they expected to meet.

They weren’t surprised to see the final Van Doren sibling sitting on the couch. Her posture perfect, silver hair immaculate, and eyes are sharper than ever. In front of her was the last person they had expected to meet. A boy around thirteen years of age in a uniform they had just been insulting hours ago.

“Five… Hargreeves?” Damian asked as they all lowered their weapons and defenses, “I thought you disappeared years ago.”

“Yeah well, here I am now.” He said with a flat smile, “There’s no time to waste. The world is ending in three days and we need you to help us stop it.”

“Wait, who’s  _ we _ ?”

“The Umbrella Academy.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Translation:  
> “What is it?”  
> “My sister, she’s getting married.”  
> “Which sister? The supermodel or the CEO?”  
> “Neither. My youngest sister, the journalist, the one who lives in New York.”  
> “Will you go?”  
> “Of course, she’s my sister.”  
> “I'll handle him tonight, you should rest”
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget that kudos and comments are highly appreciated! Any suggestions for future chapters? Don't hesitate to comment!


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